Bridport Town Ramparts

Has been described as a Possible Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameBridport Town Ramparts
Alternative NamesBrydian
Historic CountryDorset
Modern AuthorityDorset
1974 AuthorityDorset
Civil ParishBridport

The Burghal Hidage lists Brydian (or Bredy) to which belonged 760 hides (ie a wall length of 3,315 feet). The hillfort of Old Warren in Little Bredy parish (SY 58 NE 20) has been identified as the site of Brydian, in which Bridport was the 'port belonging to Bredy'. Alternatively, Bridport was Brydian Burh. Field work and documentary evidence indicate the existence of a town ditch enclosing the Saxon town by cutting off the peninsula (Penn 1980).

Discussion of the Medieval town defences with reference to documents of the C13th (Short 1975). An excavation on the suggested line of the wall found no occupation traces at all and no ditch. (At SY 4651 9256) (Bailey 1975). (See SY 49 SE 33 for Saxon mint).

Penn believes that the evidence for Bridport being the burh is strong, since it is the lowest bridging point on the River Brit, and the topography of the town lends itself to such an origin. he suggests that at least the East side was defended where the ground slopes to the Asker. (Hill and Rumbole). (PastScape)

Anglo-Saxon defences 'of no post-Conquest significance' list. (Bond)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSY465925
Latitude50.7305183410645
Longitude-2.75819993019104
Eastings346500
Northings92500
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Baxter, Ray, Sept 2010 (3edn), Early Norman Castles Built in the Anglo-Saxon Burhs of Dorset (Dorset Castles Research Group) esp p. 4, 12
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 258
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 14
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 130

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • Bellamy, P.S.., 2005, 'Bridport'd 13th-century defences: archaeological observations to the rear of 41 and 43 East Street, Bridport' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol. 127 p. 59-66
  • Bailey, J., 1976, 'Excavations in the Glebe, Bridport' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol. 97 p. 63
  • Short, E.B., 1976, 'The bounds of Bridport' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol. 97 p. 62-3

Other

  • Dorset County Council, 2008, Dorset Historic Towns Survey: Bridport Download copy